Ordinary You
by DataAndrd
Summary: Sequel to Indestructible Heart... Lonely and needing a friend, Claire decides to call Zach


**HEROES**

"**ORDINARY YOU"**

Takes place at the end of "Four Months Later…" 

Claire Bennet, lying on her bed in her family's new house, stared in dismay at the cell phone in her hand. Only moments before she had been trying to talk to her biological father, Nathan Petrelli, only to have him hang up on her. A part of her understood why he had been so abrupt with her – it was painfully obvious he still wasn't prepared to have any kind of meaningful relationship with her – but the hurt and anger she felt at his rejection overwhelmed any empathy she might have had for him.

_Jerk_, Claire thought angrily to herself. _I wasn't asking for that much… I just need someone to talk to!_

"Not fair," she whispered, pulling her legs up against her chest. She could feel a lump forming in her throat, but she quickly swallowed it.

"Is it asking too much just to have someone I don't have to pretend with?" Then, for no particular reason, Claire found herself opening her cell phone to look through the pictures she had taken with it.

There weren't many, but she still had pictures of her old home back in Odessa, and her friends there. She choked back a sob when she saw an old picture of herself with Jackie, back when they had been best friends, grinning into the camera with their arms wrapped around each other. It seemed like an eternity ago when they'd had that picture taken. Before Claire had discovered her extraordinary powers… before the nightmare at homecoming… before _Sylar…_

Willing away her memories of that terrible night, Claire quickly flipped past the picture of Jackie. The picture that took its place nearly took her breath away.

"Zach…" she breathed. It was the picture he had taken of them together, just before she left Odessa, and sent to her to remind her of their friendship. Staring at the picture, remembering the friend who had stood beside her when she needed him most, Claire found herself wishing that he was with her now. A dangerous thought suddenly occurred to her.

She knew what her father would say if he found out, could practically hear him admonishing her about staying hidden, but Claire didn't care. She needed a friend now, more than ever… and Zach had always been there for her. With trembling fingers, she dialed his number.

"Hello?" a familiar, tired-sounding voice greeted her a few moments later. Hearing his voice again, for the first time in months, hit Claire harder than she'd imagined. It was several moments before she could find her voice again.

"Zach?" she asked tentatively.

"Claire?" Zach practically shouted back. "Is that you? Are you all right?!" Claire couldn't help a small smile. He still cared about her.

"It's me," she said softly. "I'm okay… for now."

"Where are you?" Zach asked.

"I… I can't tell you, Zach. I'm supposed to be hiding."

"Are those… people… still after you?"

"My dad sure thinks so. He says we have to stay hidden, until… I don't know how long." Claire swallowed.

"I just needed to hear a friendly voice," she whispered.

"Are you okay?" Zach asked softly. Something in her voice worried him.

"No…" Claire managed, fighting back tears. "I'm in a strange place, surrounded by people I don't know, having to pretend to be something I'm not. I'm so far from okay, I don't even know what okay feels like anymore!"

"Hey," Zach soothed her. "It's gonna be all right, Claire. I can't say I know exactly what you're going through, but you're the strongest person I've ever known. If anyone can get through this, you can." Claire felt a single tear trickle from the corner of her emerald green eyes.

"Claire? Are you still there?"

"Y-yeah…" she managed after a moment. "I'm sorry, it's just…"

"You don't have to apologize."

"Yes, I do. The first time we've talked in what seems like forever, and all I can do is cry!"

"What's wrong?" Zach asked gently. Claire sniffled.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Try me." In her mind's eye, Claire could almost see him smiling.

"It's just… it's just so hard, having to pretend to be something I'm not."

"What do you mean?" Claire drew in a breath.

"I can't tell anyone who I really am," she began, "… or let them see what I can do. I have to hide it all, so those… people… can't find us."

"That's gotta be hard," Zach said simply.

"You have no idea," Claire said bitterly, wiping away more tears. "All I want is to just be myself. I am so _tired_ of having to keep all this inside me, like it's something to be ashamed of!" Zach heard her voice crack, and winced.

"Claire," he said, "you don't have anything to be ashamed of, okay?" Claire smiled sadly through her tears.

"Thanks, Zach. I never thought it would be so hard to have to pretend to be… ordinary."

"That's one thing you're definitely not," Zach joked. Claire laughed a little at that.

"Yeah, how many girls can pull their own broken bones back into place?"

"That's not what I meant," Zach replied, chuckling. "I mean, there's all the things you can do, sure… but even without those, you'd still be special." Claire perked up slightly at that. Had he just called her special?

"What did you say?"

"You heard me," Zach teased. "I said you were special. You always have been."

"Zach…" Claire felt her eyes beginning to water again.

"All those times with the cheerleaders treating you like they did and that jerk Brody…" Claire wasn't sure, but she could've sworn she heard genuine anger in Zach's voice just then. He almost sounded… well, kind of protective.

"Everything you had to go through, and you never once let it stop you. You just kept going, and acted like it didn't bother you at all. I can't think of any… ordinary… person who could've done that."

"Thanks," Claire managed.

"I know what you're going through right now is hard, but if anyone can get through it… you can. Don't think of it as having to hide what you are. It's all still there inside you. Just think of it as showing the world the 'ordinary' you."

"The 'ordinary' me?" Claire repeated, smiling despite herself.

"Yeah," Zach affirmed. "The part of you that just looks like a beautiful blonde cheerleader… and hides all the incredible things you are inside." For a moment Claire was speechless. She had definitely not expected Zach to say such things about her. She felt her cheeks warm.

"You can do it," Zach said, when he didn't hear her answer right away.

"Zach…" Claire struggled to find her voice. "Did… did you just call me…?"

"I better go," Zach said suddenly. "Wouldn't want your dad to find out you called me."

"Wait," Claire said urgently. "What you said…" Zach smiled, knowing Claire couldn't see him. He could imagine just how she must've looked right then, however.

"Yeah, I did." He said simply. "Now go… and take care of yourself, Claire. You ever need anything, I'm here."

"You too, Zach… and thanks. For everything."

"What are best friends for?" he said simply, and without another word he hung up. Claire just laid there, staring at the phone in her phone in her hand as though she could see the person she had just been talking to. Smiling through her tears, she closed it and held it to her heart as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep


End file.
